Stories from Youngsters Living in a TownshipFinding Education and Opportunity to Help Fight the Odds

WORDS Marie-Louise Bohler

While visiting Where Rainbows Meet(WRM) in Vrygrond, the oldest township in Cape Town, I met with three inspirational young men who managed to overcome the odds thanks to positive intervention and hard work.

Taytin, Sharif and Ashwin each have a unique story to tell, but their struggles are universal, especially for those growing up in townships. They share their experiences of how the organisation gave them hope for a brighter future.

WRM was founded in 2008 and offers training and development to community members in the surrounding neighbourhood. The organisation provides support for those seeking to improve their circumstances via their programmes, initiatives, and awareness events.

Growing up in a township is often synonymous with violence, crime and poverty. Many children, like Taytin, Sharif and Ashwin, grow up with few prospects. Without support or guidance, it’s too easy for young people to end up feeling hopeless. Often children drop out of school, join gangs or even end up on the streets.

Gangs impress kids with their money and power by showing off their fancy clothes and cars – a stark contrast to the lack of basic necessities many of these children are accustomed to. Gangs can also provide a sense of belonging when many kids come from broken homes.

While Taytin (23) coaches children into soccer stars, Sharif (24) wants to train to become a chef and Ashwin (20) is a computer facilitator but also passionate about cooking and food.

Taytin’s story

Taytin’s outfit – jogging pants, an Adidas sweatshirt and sneakers – represent his lifestyle: he’s been playing soccer since the age of 8 and started coaching younger children a few years ago.

‘I first started by playing soccer at Rainbows’ club and then started coaching, but I did not have a coaching licence, so the organisation sent me on a coaching course and I have since been working here for three years,’ says Taytin.

The Where Rainbows Meet Training and Development Foundation runs a variety of programmes to assist the Vrygrond community, from computer classes to sustainable gardening. Here, members attend a dance class. Photo: Laura Muhlichen

He currently holds a D-License and coaches youngsters aged 12–16 at Rainbows and under 18s at the Local Football Association, but hopes to obtain his C- B- and eventually A-License so that he can coach at some of the bigger clubs in Cape Town.

Taytin understands both the allure and pitfalls of gangs for young children – his cousin was a gangster, and he was shot in a gang-related incident. Taytin recalls an experience that convinced him never to join a gang.

‘I was jogging to keep fit in Seawinds, but then I felt like someone was following me. I turned around and they [perpetrators] were pointing a gun at me. They thought I was a gangster and I had to take off my t-shirt to show them that I don’t have a tattoo. Because all the gangsters have a tattoo saying which gang they belong to.’

Taytin continues, ‘That opened my eyes and I told myself: I am not becoming a gangster, because when you are a gangster you can’t walk around freely, you have to stick to territory.’

Taytin tries to be a role model for children and says that while many of them admire the material possessions gangsters have, he shows them that there are other ways to be successful.

When he tells the children that he comes from the same circumstances, they listen to him as they see him as a friend looking out for them.

‘There was a boy who was really into gangs and drugs,’ recalls Taytin. ‘I would talk to him but he would not listen to me. But then one day, I took him to one side and I told him, if you want to be a gangster, then you can’t play football. I tried to encourage him to stick with football because he’s a good player. Now he plays for the Cape Academy and went to Norway and played in the Norway Cup. He told me about the experience and I saw the joy in his face and was so happy to see his gratitude.’

Taytin believes WRM saved him from a life of unemployment. With their help, he attended evening classes to finish his matric and he has applied to university. He wants to show the organisation his appreciation by helping other kids to make the right decision too.

Sharif’s story

Sharif also completed his matric by attending evening classes with WRM’s assistance.

The young man with a warm smile wears a shirt and dark blue denim pants and looks like he’s just walked out of a college lecture.

‘I discovered that I like preparing food,’ says Sharif. ‘So I want to become a chef and I’ve applied at various colleges to do chef training.’

When Sharif was 17 years old, he found WRM through the activities happening during the holiday programme and currently, he works as an administrator for the organisation. He was forced to move to Vrygrond and leave school after his grandmother died.

‘I grew up with my grandma. When she passed on, I left school, because I knew no one would pay my school fees or help me with equipment. I left the community (where I grew up) and came to live here (in Vrygrond) where I got to know WRM. Rainbows has helped me. I would still be hanging around [loitering] without them,’ Sharif says.

Although, his applications to study to be a chef have been unsuccessful so far, he remains hopeful and he stresses that the foundation has helped him in every possible way.

Sharif has a concrete plan for his future. ‘I would be so glad and proud to develop a skill and have a qualification to my name to prevent me from getting back on the street in case anything happens to the foundation.’

At some point, Sharif wants to move with his wife and child to a safer place. ‘I do not want to stay here because of the gangs and people getting killed, people getting shot for no reason.’

Ashwin’s story

At the age of only 20, Ashwin has witnessed much of the violence Sharif refers to.

‘I came here through unfortunate circumstances,’ begins Ashwin. ‘I was thrown out of my parent’s house and went through many difficulties. There were some nights when I had to sleep outside, I walked around the streets, with nowhere to go.’

Ashwin started using drugs in his teens and hanging out with the wrong crowd of friends. He got a job at a local supermarket but he didn’t enjoy the work environment there or how he was treated.

Approximately 40 thousand people live in the multi-cultural community of Vrygrond. Where Rainbows Meet aims to improve the lives of the youth to ensure they get on the right track for their future. Photo: Laura Muhlichen

‘I did not like it and one day I just walked out and did not come back. My parents caught me and they threw me out of the house,’ he explains.

He lived on the streets until WRM found him and offered him a job.

‘I had to make a split-second decision when I was asked to join the foundation. But I feel everybody has a good person (on the) inside.’

When he proved to his family that he was in a better space, they allowed him to return home. Ashwin is a computer facilitator and he also assists in the kitchen. He dreams of becoming a qualified chef.

‘Once I get my chef qualification, I want to get into the hospitality industry and travel overseas to experience different cultures and learn more,’ he says.

Looking back, he says that WRM changed his life and brought him back on the right path. ‘I thought of joining a gang because of everything I was going through. Just to get recognition, to feel loved, things that I thought I was not getting from my parents.’

In his last sentences, he recounts his appreciation towards the foundation and his wish to give them something back. ‘The foundation made me a more confident person, they always give me advice and I’ve learned computer and life skills.’

All three men have experienced some level of violence, crime and povertyin their childhood and it is largely due to WRM’s intervention that they were able to change the course of their lives.

WRM is one of many organisations dedicated to helping as many children and young people as possible. With guidance and support, community members can explore opportunities and take responsibility for themselves. Finding a better life isn’t easy, but often a good support network can make all the difference.

Marie-Louise just finished high school in Germany and came back to her roots in South Africa to travel and to meet new people. She loves exploring new places and cultures and she would like to make the world a better place by writing and sharing stories.